Secret Soil Recipe for Great Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

What do you add to soil for great tomatoes? ›

Add compost and other sources of organic matter. This is the key to soil quality. Organic matter supplies nutrients, increases moisture holding capacity, improves tilth, encourages diversity of soil life and can reduce plant disease. Compost makes a good mulch for tomatoes.

Secret Soil Recipe for Great Tomatoes in Your Garden

Mix shale, compost and manure together and then add: Soft Rock Phosphate – 3 lbs. Alfalfa Meal – 1 lb. Earthworm Castings – 1lb.

Like many vegetables, tomatoes prefer a goldilocks soil that is moisture retentive yet well drained and, of course, rich in nutrients. The very best way to achieve that is simply to add plenty of well-rotted organic matter to the surface of your soil in the weeks or months before planting.

Look for a fertilizer that has a high middle number, which represents phosphorus, in the N-P-K analysis. Commonly available fertilizer analysis that are great for tomato seedlings include 8-32-16 and 12-24-12. Mix the fertilizer with water according to package directions.

Tomatoes do well in large containers and growing bags in a greenhouse or outdoors in full sun, and are very productive in a small space. Use peat-free loam-based or multi-purpose compost. Plant one tomato plant in a 30–45cm (12–18in) pot and two in a standard growing bag.

The soil is the key ingredient to a successful raised vegetable bed. Get enough light topsoil or raised bed soil to fill the estimated depth of the raised bed. Since tomatoes are heavy feeders and prefer a rich, organic soil, mix in two- to three-inch layers of compost or cow manure to the top one-third of the topsoil.

Tomatoes are prone to magnesium deficiency later in the growing season, which can show with yellowing leaves and diminished production. Ultra Epsom Salt treatments at the beginning of their planting and throughout their seasonal life can help to prevent and remedy magnesium deficiency in your tomato plants.

Tomatoes have deep root systems and frequent shallow watering, which moistens the top inch or two of soil, will do little to supply the amount of water that tomatoes require. A weekly deep watering that moistens the soil at a depth of 12 to 14 inches will produce more and larger fruit than frequent shallow watering.

Coffee grounds contain around 2% nitrogen as well as varying amounts of phosphorus and potassium which are all very important for the growth of tomato plants. By mixing some coffee grounds into the soil below your tomato plants you're introducing these nutrients that the plants need to thrive.

Tomato plants have big appetites and need a steady supply of plant food to grow their best. Miracle-Gro® Performance Organic® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules feeds both your plants and the beneficial microbes in the soil (which help plants take up all the nutrition they need) for up to 6 weeks.

Should I add lime to soil for tomatoes? ›

Liming tomato plants accomplishes three key functions that produce significant benefits. Adding lime to the soil will raise its pH, increase the amount of calcium and enhance soil permeability. pH increase: Raising pH when soil is too acidic helps tomatoes absorb important nutrients like magnesium and phosphorus.

Adding the benefits of nutrient-rich compost can keep heavy-feeding tomato plants happy. Mix organic compost into the soil when you plant your tomatoes. During the growing season, top the soil with a couple of shovelfuls of compost. You can also make compost “tea”.

Plant in well-amended soil and allow for plenty of space for each plant. Plan a support system. Plants may get big, but the tomatoes will get huge and will need a heavy-duty support. Look for extra-big tomato blossoms.